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The Vancouver Aquarium invites the public to watch its walrus research project in real time

That’s one of the first things Vancouverites will learn at the Vancouver Aquarium’s new exhibit, where the main attraction is a pair of two-year-old walruses.

A marine mammal trainer at the Vancouver Aquarium practises behaviours with a two-year-old juvenile walrus in the Research Outpost exhibit. (Jennifer Gauthier / Star Metro)

The Vancouver Aquarium opened its Research Outpost exhibit on June 27, giving the public a view into its walrus research for the first time. The main attraction is a pair of two-year-old walruses, Lakina and Balzak. (Jennifer Gauthier / Star Metro)

The half-siblings are called Lakina and Balzak. They eat the equivalent of about 150 quarter-pounders every day and sleep up to 36 hours at a time. They’re happy to roll over to let aquarium staff check their bellies. And scientists hope their residence at the Vancouver Aquarium will enable groundbreaking research on the animals that — despite their considerable size — can be elusive.

The exhibit is an extension of the outdoor Steller’s Bay exhibit, and will consist of trainers practising behaviours with Lakina and Balzak, like vocalizations and play, in the view of aquarium visitors throughout the day. The practice sessions are all part of the aquarium’s walrus research, only now visitors will have an insider’s view.

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It all depends on the walruses’ schedule. If they’re curled up sleeping, away from the display area, no one wakes them. The aquarium is looking at getting a TV to display them snuggled up to one another.

David Rosen, UBC scientist-in-residence for the aquarium, said the male-female pair are ideal for research due to their young age and easygoing natures.

“Things like Research Outpost let the public know about the work that scientists and institutions like the Vancouver Aquarium are doing — that it’s not just a display facility,” Rosen said. “It really is conservation oriented in action and not just in name.”

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The aquarium’s new exhibit isn’t free of critics. Peter Hamilton, director of the animal-rights advocacy group Lifeforce, said in an email that he opposes aquarium studies, and that he thinks animal research should be conducted in the wild.

But Rosen said that’s not always possible.

“As a biologist — this is one of the key life-history stages,” Rosen said. It’s hard to track down walruses in the wild, since they aren’t as tied to land as other species. So he hopes having a controlled environment in which to study their behaviour, appetites, and energy use will help people understand the animals and how they will be affected by climate change.

“This is a really unique opportunity to study animals that are this young,” Rosen said.

Half-siblings Lakina and Balzak eat the equivalent of about 150 quarter-pounders every day, and sleep up to 36 hours at a time. (Courtesy Vancouver Aquarium)

Troy Neale, the assistant curator of marine mammals at the aquarium, said he was excited to give the public a close-up view of the animals, which he described as “charismatic.”

“You walk out to see them in the morning and (they come) right over, and Balzac’s usually roaring away,” he said. “It’s just fun — it’s exciting to work with them.”

Neale said he’s been involved in the aquarium’s research for 15 years, but that they haven’t always let visitors in on the research the way they are now doing with Lakina and Balzak.

Jen and Chris Labelle and their 15-month-old daughter were among the first aquarium visitors to see the pair in action. They called the experience very exciting.

“You never see these animals in the wild right? So it’s nice that we can come and check them out,” Jen Labelle said.

Alex McKeen is a Vancouver-based reporter covering wealth and work. Follow her on Twitter: @alex_mckeen

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